Mother cleared of murder released

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A County Fermanagh woman accused of murdering her newborn son has been released from prison after being officially acquitted.

Wendy Johnston, 34, from Spruce Hill in Irvinestown, had been accused of strangling her baby last February.

On Wednesday, the Public Prosecution Service said they were no longer offering any evidence against her.

However, she stayed in jail as the announcement was so unexpected and no jury panel was available to acquit her.

On Thursday, a jury at Laganside Court in Belfast was instructed to find her not guilty.

Mr Justice Stephens, sitting in Belfast and not Dungannon to ensure a jury panel was available, heard the case had involved an exchange of a number of medical reports between the prosecution and defence.

The latest was received on Tuesday afternoon, after which there was a review of the evidence in consultation with the prosecution's own medical expert.

As a result it was decided the proper course of action was to stop the case against Ms Johnston.

In March last year, the High Court in Belfast had heard police were called to the accused's home by her sister on February 22, 2006.

Ms Johnston had phoned her and when she arrived, she told her she had given birth two days earlier, and then led her into the kitchen, and showed her the infant's body wrapped in a bundle of towels.

Following her arrest six days later she allegedly told detectives none of her family knew she was pregnant and that on 20 February, while she was watching television, her waters broke, and shortly after, the baby boy was born on the sofa.

She said the child died a short time later.